Historically, voice-based telephone communications have been handled via dedicated networks, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN), while data communications have been handled via dedicated packet networks, such as Internet protocol (IP) networks. A current trend is to converge these two types of networks, where telephone voice traffic and other forms of real-time media are converted into digital form and carried by a packet data network along with other forms of data. These converged networks may offer many advantages, such as lower operating costs as compared to maintaining separate voice and data networks, greater flexibility regarding service offerings to customers, such as multimedia conferencing, and more efficient use of network resources, such as network hardware and software.
Conventional telephones may employ dual-tone multifrequency (DTMF) signals for placing calls to a called party. DTMF techniques assign dual tones to each number on a keypad associated with a telephone handset. When a user depresses a number, a unique dual-tone signal may be generated. The PSTN uses DTMF signals to route calls through appropriate intermediary devices, such as central offices and switches, to arrive at a desired destination associated with a called party. Converged networks may employ telephone gateways for converting PSTN signals, such as DTMF signals, into packetized data for use in a data network, such as the Internet. Telephone gateways may digitize DTMF signals and encode them into standardized formats for use with portions of the network running packet protocols.
Users of converged network telephone services may use DTMF tones for dialing destination phone numbers and for performing other applications on converged networks. For example, users may require assistance and/or information from service providers, corporations, institutions, and/or government agencies using a telephone device. In many instances, a user may interact with an interactive voice response (IVR) system while obtaining assistance and/or information.
IVR systems may be used for processing incoming calls. For example, a customer may call a telephone company to report a problem with a telephone line. The telephone company may employ an IVR system for processing incoming calls. When the call is received at the telephone company, an IVR system may answer the call and prompt the user to enter, for example, a telephone number associated with a malfunctioning line via a recorded message. The IVR system may detect a series of DTMF signals associated with a sequence of digits depressed by the user in response to the IVR prompts. Efficiently operating IVR systems may require that operators of these systems attempt to handle calls in a cost effective manner.